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Hughes' Cap Set His Destiny
by Bill Poteat, Charlotte Observer
May 20, 2007
Back in the summer of 1995, Jared Hughes and his dad, Bill, were
wandering through a sports shop in Burbank, Calif., when an unusual
baseball cap caught his 10-year-old eyes.
The cap bore the logo of the Hickory Crawdads, then the newest
franchise in the South Atlantic League. Hughes had never heard of
Hickory and didn't know what a crawdad was, but he knew he loved the
cap.
"I got my dad to buy the cap for me," he said. "And I wore
it day
after day, year after year, until it absolutely fell apart. No
question that it was my favorite cap back then."
Today, Hughes is once again wearing a Hickory Crawdads cap, but now he
wears it on the pitching mound at L.P. Frans Stadium. The fourth-round
pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2006 free-agent draft, he aims
to make his mark against Sally League hitters.
"Each time I go out to the mound, I want to be better than I was
the
last time," said Hughes, 21, whose winning smile is as electric as
his
fastball.
Growing up in Southern California, Hughes had the advantage of
near-perfect weather in which to play baseball all year. "I was on
the
field all the time," he said. "And my dad was always there,
encouraging me and helping me."
Bill Hughes had also been a good baseball player, both in high school
and at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee. Jared's grandfather, the
late Lester Hughes, had played for the UNC Tar Heels and in the
Dodgers' minor league system.
Hughes had already grown to a height of 6 feet 3 inches when he
entered high school. By the time he graduated, he had grown 3 more
inches. Today, he stands at an imposing 6 feet 7 inches, weighing 240
pounds.
Drafted out of high school in the 16th round of the 2003 free-agent
draft by the Devil Rays, Hughes chose instead to go to college,
attending Santa Clara for one year and then transferring to Long Beach
State.
Why college? "I wanted a college degree. It's that simple,"
Hughes
answered. "I knew that baseball careers can be awfully short. I
thought it was very important that I work on my education and on my
baseball skills."
Hughes, who is majoring in finance, left Long Beach State after his
junior year but vows that he will finish up his degree as quickly as
his baseball schedule permits.
The Pirates chose to have Hughes start his professional career with
the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League. In five
starts with the Crosscutters, he won one and lost two, but had an
excellent 2.74 ERA.
Promoted to Hickory, Hughes made 10 starts for the 'Dads last summer,
compiling a 5-4 record but a hefty ERA of 5.77. So far in 2007, Hughes
has made six starts for Hickory, with a 2-1 record, an ERA of 3.52,
and 27 strikeouts.
On the days when he starts, Hughes says, he prefers to sleep as late
as possible and to stay as relaxed as possible. Arriving at the
ballpark three hours before start time, he spends the next couple of
hours either reading or watching TV.
An hour before the game, he begins stretching, then plays catch with a
teammate, then heads to the bullpen mound to warm up. "By the time
for
the first pitch, I am very, very focused."
Asked for his own personal timeline of where he hopes to be in the
Pirates' system by the end of the 2007, Hughes responds, "I don't
know. I just want to be good wherever I am. And when I get to the big
leagues, I want to be there for a long time."
The Jared Hughes File
Born: July 4, 1985, in Stamford, Conn. Moved to the Los Angeles
area at age 2.
Education: 2003 graduate of San Margarita High School.
Now working on
degree in finance from Long Beach State.
Favorite ballpark: PNC Park in Pittsburgh. "I've
never played there,
but I love the setting and I love the fans."
Favorite ballpark food: Nachos with cheese and jalapeno
peppers.
Baseball player he most admires: Former St. Louis Cardinals hurler Bob
Gibson.
Hitter he'd most like to retire: "The number nine
hitter for the third
time in a perfect game."
Favorite music: Punk rock.
Catawba Valley delicacies: Country ham? "Yeah, I've
had it at Cracker
Barrel. Good stuff. I also love grits." Livermush? "Never had
it or
heard of it."
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